Improved vapor generator and burner for heating purposes



N. PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON D C ma? af/6.

5M/iff@ @MMM/225ml- N-PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED S'rrrrnsV PATENT OFFICE.

A HENRY R. FOOTE, OE OIL CITY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, STILLMAN B. ALLEN, AND J. H. WINSOR.

IMPROVED VAPOR GENERATOR AND BURNER FOR HEATING PURPOSES.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 63,130, dated March 19, 1867.

I To all persons to whom these presents shall come Be it known that I, HENRY RUTGER FooTE,

now or late of Oil City, of the county of Venango andState of Pennsylvania, have made a new and useful invention for generating heat by the admixture and combustion of a hydroyan Improved Vapor Generator and Burner,77

exhibits the apparatus for carrying out my invention. y

Of such drawings, Figure 1 denotes a `sectional View of my said apparatus in its application to a steam generator or boiler for the purpose of heating it. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical section, and Fig. 4, an end elevation and vertical. section of the retort and the steam-decomposing apparatus and the burners, to be hereinafter explained. Fig. 5 is a side elevation, and Fig. 6 a bottom view, of one of the deiicctors or radiators, to be hereinafter described.

By my invention I vaporize a hydrocarbonoil, decompose steam, and mix the vapor of the oil and the gaseous products of the steam together and with a quantity of air. This mixture, for the purpose of generating heat, I burn by means of a series of burners or their equivalent or equivalents. By such invention I am enabled to obtain vpractical results of great importance and value. My invention is speoially useful for heatingA a steam-generator,

whether of a stationary, a locomotive, orfother steam-engine, or for making steam for any usei ful purpose. It differs from the apparatus or invention described inv Letters Patent No. 58,087, granted to me in thisicountry on the 18th day of September, A. D. 1866, although being analogous to it in some features, one difference being that it contains a tank or means of supplying the retort with the hydrocarbon oil or liquid. Another important difference is that it contains an air-pump or means of forcing air into the retort.

With my patented invention I vaporized the liquid hydrocarbon and .decomposed steam, land mixed the vaporous and' gaseous constituents of the twoand burned them by means of burners; but with my present invention I lnot only accomplish all this, but I keep up a regular supply of the hydrocarbon-'oil tothe .retort .and gas-holder, and combine with `the vaporous and gaseous constituents, as above mentioned, an amount of air whereby the heat I produced by the whole, when burned, will llbe greatly augmented. ,p

I am aware that other parties have heretofore burned hydrocarbon-vapors, and that they have added steam to such vapors before or at the period of theirl combustion. I am also aware that before my invention air has been added` to hydrocarbon -vapors and lburned therewith.

My 'invention differs from all vthese in this, that I do notadd steam to the hydrocarbonvapors, but '-by my mechanism vor apparatus,

or its cylinder or tubular coil, charged with charcoal, iron filings, or the equivalent vthereof, and subjected to va high degree of heat, I decompose vthe steam or resolve it into its gaseous constituents, and I introduce them with air and a liquid hydrocarbon or the vapors thereof into a vesselorretort, from which, by means of pipes and burners, I discharge the `mixture vin a state t for `combustion and the production `or generation of great heat. In this way I am enabled to produce better results than can be effected by the mere ad'- y mixture of hydrocarbon Vvapor and steam or hydrocarbon vapor and air, and their combustion together, as stated.

In carrying out my invention I adopt means or apparatus which I will now proceed to deg scribe. Y

In Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the accompanying drawings, a represents a hollow metallic vessel, whose form, in transverse section, is shown in Fig. 4. It may be of any suitable size or material. Its vlower orbroader portion performs the duties of an evaporating-vessel, the upper or narrower part serving the purposeof a gas-holder. This vessel a may be termed'l a combined gas holder and retort,77 it being used not only for vaporizing the hydrocarbon, but as a receptacle forreceiving the vaporthus produced and mixing it with the products of decomposed steam and with atmospheric air forced into it by means of an air-pump, as hereinafter described.

A tube, leads into the vessel afrom an oiltank, c, (see Fig. 1,) situated above the said vessel c, and serving to contain a hydrocarbon-oil for supplying the retort, as may be required, the iiowage of the liquid being regulated by a stopcock, b. From opposite sides of the upper part of the retort or vessel a, a series of pipes, f f, project, each of such pipes terminating in an elbow, f. Into these elbows small metallic deectors or radiators g g are inserted, each consisting of a disk having a tapering stem projecting down from it, the whole being in form analogous to that of the .glass stopper of a bottle. The stem of each radiator has channels or grooves made in it, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, such being to permit the escape of the mixed vapors, gases, and air for combustion. The object of these radiators is to allow of the escape of the mixture from the retort, to spread the ilame of it when such mixture may be iniamed, and to secure the ignition of all the escaping gases and vapors. These radiators may be made of castiron or any other suitable substance or composition. Near each end of the retort a a tube, t', extends down into it and terminates near its bottom, such tube being formed as exhibited in Fig. 3. A large hollow vessel, e, as long as or longer than the vessel or retort a, is arranged over the latter, and duly supported in place. The said vessel e is to be closed at both of its ends, it being at its rear end in communication with the retort by means of a pipe, c, branching from the middle of the pipe c'.

Steam is to he supplied to the vessel e by means of -a pipe, u, leading from a steam-generator. When in use, the vessel e is to be lled with, or to contain, charcoal, coke, anthracite coal, or any other form of carbon which, when heated to a high temperature, will decompose steam while owing into, through, or in contact with it. Or the vessel@ may contain nely-divided iron, (as filings, for instance,) zinc, copper, or other metallic substances which, at a red heat, will decompose steam when in contact with it. Y

The vessel e may be heated by a series of small burners, s s s, arranged on the top of,

and opening out of, the retort c. In place of the vessel e, or in connection with it, a coil or series of metallic pipes lled with finely-divided charcoal or carbonaceous material may be employed, such coil or series of pipes being connected with, so as to open into, the retort a, or the vessel e. A series of burners extend-ing from the retort a may be arranged before described, the mixture of air, hydrof carbon-vapor, and the gaseous products ofthe so as to heat the coil or series of pipes.

Thesteam in passing through the incandescent carbon in the Vessel e, or the coil or series of pipes, will be decomposed, and hydrogen-gas and carbonio-oxide gas will beevolved, and will mingle with the vapor produced by the evaporation of the hydrocarbonoil in the retort, the mixture, when inflamed at the burners, being productive of powerful heat. The retort is to be heated by a series of small burners arranged underneath it, as shown at x2 m2 x2 m2 in the drawings. They are to be connected with the gas holder or retort a, and may extend along the entire length of the bottom thereof. The retort is to be supplied with a drain-pipe, 7s, (seeFig. 4,) providedvwith a stop-cock, such pipe being situ-r air of this reservoir is conveyed by means of a conduit, h, into the retort. Such pipe h may be provided with a stop-cock Aand a check- Valve, the one to regulate the supply of air, and the other tovprevent its reflux into the reservoir.

A tube, R, leading out of the air reservoir or chamber b, and provided with a stop-cock, e', may be employed to effect escape *.of air from such chamber when the condensation of air therein may be too great; or, instead of such a tube and stop-cock, a safety-valve may be used. 4

The oil-tank c may be made of iron', and placed with another and larger tank; filled with water, so as to entirely surround and cover the said oil-tank. This jacket or cover ing of water is to prevent the escape of oil or any of the vapor thereof otherwise than by the pipe fr. This application of water to the pipe is shown in Fig. 1 at t. It will lessen,if not entirely prevent, the danger of explosion or firing of the contents of the oil-tank,par ticularly whenl the apparatus is in use on board a steam ship or vessel. z

p is a pipe for lead ing steam into and through a heating-coil, p2, arranged in the tank o, such Vcoil being used to heat the oil in the tank, in

order to cause it to low steadily into the retort. This heating of the oil will be necessary, especially when thick oil is employed.

Benzole, or some one or more of the lighter hydrocarbons may be put in the air-chamber b. The vapors of such made in the chamber will unite with the air thereof, and with it will pass into the retort, and operate tol increase the intensity of the flame of the burners.

In the operation of the apparatus, hereindecomposition of steam will be discharged from the burners f', whereit may be inflamed.

The deflectors g will spread the ilame. A

boiler or other vessel or object to be heated is" -to be arranged over the burners, so that the lflame or heat therefrom may impinge against it, or be conveyed into and through one or more pipes running into or through it.

Having thus described my said apparatus;

what I claim therein as of my invention is as follows:

l. A combination composed of the following constituents, or their mechanical equivalents, viz., first, a retort or vessel, a; second, a tank or means of supplying the retort with the hydrocarbon oil or liquid; third, an apparatus for decomposing` steam, and introducing its gaseous constituents into the retort; fourth, an air-pump, or means of forcing air into the retort; fth, means of discharging from the retort, and burning the mixture of air, hydrocarbon-vapor, and the gaseous constituents resulting from the decomposition of steam, as set forth.

2. The combination of such combination, and the air-reservoir b applied thereto, and for use substantially as described. v

3. The employment of the vapors of a light and volatile hydrocarbon, as set forth, with the heavier oil, the air and gaseous constituents of steam introduced into the retort, substantially as described, such light and volatile yhydrocarbon being placed in the air-reservoir b, so as to be vaporized therein by the air forced into and through it, or by any other proper means, the vapors of such hydrocarbon being carried by the air from the reservoir into the retort.

4. The admixture of gas of a hydrocarbonhuid, air, and the gaseous constituents of steam, and their combustion by the means, iu the manner, and for the purposes set forth.

' 5. The deiiector or radiator g, constructed as described, and arranged in relation to pipes fand elbow ff, as and forthe purposes set forth.

HENRY RUTGER FOOTE.

Witnesses R. H. EDDY, GEO. H. ANDREWs.

6. ,The combination of the heating-coil of 

